Understanding the SIE Exam
We enlisted an independent third-party research firm, to conduct the 2019 State of Financial Services Registration and Continuing Education Survey. This survey gathered information from over 100 financial services and securities firms, businesses, and organizations about how they manage and value continuing education, advanced credentials, the role of FINRA exams in recruiting, and current perceptions of the SIE Exam.
Understanding the SIE Exam: What It Means For the Financial Services Industry sheds light on:
- Current trends related to the SIE
- Challenges companies are having
- Opportunities it is creating for the securities industry.
It also reveals some surprising areas in which misunderstandings about how best to leverage the SIE Exam are preventing firms from achieving their goals. Download our SIE eBook to learn more about what the SIE means to the financial services industry.
What is the SIE?
The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam presents an opportunity for anyone with a desire to work in the financial services industry to sit for an exam. This new test is the result of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) reorganization. The test costs $60 and assesses a candidate’s industry knowledge and level of competence in fundamental securities topics and prohibited practices.
People who score well on the test have a chance to stand out from the pack as employers can use the exam to screen candidates. After being hired, new employees must take a top-off exam for their particular niche to help hone skills that will serve them best and register with a FINRA member firm. Individuals who pass the exam must also be associated with a FINRA member firm in order to take the qualification exam necessary to engage in the securities business.
